Fastener for bottles, jars, and other vessels.



J. A. JONES. FASTBNER FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS. APPLIGATIONFILED FEB. 1, 1913.

1,074,437, Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

[12116115011- Wcnesses: r

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.v WASHING PATENT OFFIGE.

, UNITED S A JOHN ALJ ONES, 0F HILLSDALE, NEW YORK.

FASTENER FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS.

V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

Application filed February 1, 1913. Serial No. 745,565.

To all whom, it may] concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. Jones, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Hillsdale, in thecounty-of Columbia and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fasteners for Bottles, Jars, and other Vessels,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fasteners for bottles, jars and other vessels,and especially to bail-fasteners therefor, and the main object oftheinvention is to provide an improved fastener of this general type bymeans of which a sealing member may be securely held against an internalseat at the mouth of such vessel.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a modified type of awell-known form of bail-fastener for bottles, jars, etc., one of theprincipal features that distinguishes my device from those heretoforeemployed being the employment of contractible clamping means adapted toyield slightly in a substantially horizontal plane, for the doublepurpose of permitting it to be used on bottles having internal seats ofslightly varying diameters, and also, by outward expansion acting inconjunction with downward pressure, forcing .a properly shaped. sealingmember into engagement with an internal seat. ,The preferredconstruction is one in which the clamping means is in the form of asubstantially annular member or ring of slightly greater diameter thanthe seat against which the sealing member is to be forced, and inaddition the clamping means is also-preferably resilient in asubstantially horizontal plane and split inorder to permit substantiallyhorizontal expansion and contraction. In *order that the pressureapplied by the clamping means to the sealing member may be mosteffective, connection is also preferably made between the clamping meansor clampingring and a suitable bail at opposite ends of one of thediameters of the ring instead of at the center of the clamping member..-Furthermore, at one or both of such points-ofconnection to thebail, bymeans of which the clamping member or ringi's brought down and clampedupon the sealing member, means will preferably be provided forlimiting'movement of the bail lengthwise of its axis of oscillation, inorder to maintain the clamping member at a predetermined point crosswiseof. the bail.

V A further important feature of the-invention is the provision, inconnection with suitable clamping means such as has just been described,of a flexible formed cap shaped to conform to the outline of theinternal seat at the mouth of the vessel, and also to the outline of themouth or lip ofthe vessel itself, which capmay be forced down againstthe internal seat and also preferably outward, by the action of anexpanding ring, as before described,and thus brought at all pointsadjacent to the walls of such seat and mouth of the vessel into the mostintimate contact with such walls.

Other features of the invention not here inbefore referred to will behereinafter described and claimed, and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of a portion ofthe upper end of a suitable vessel, such as a milk bottle, to which myimprovements are mpplied; Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at an angle ofninety degrees from that in Fig. 1, a portion of the construction beingbroken out and illustrated in section in order that the manner in whichthe parts cooperate may clearly appear; Fig. 3 is a plan of the sameshowing the part-s in position for sealing the vessel; Fig. 4 is adetail illustrating a wire bail and a clamping ring pivoted thereon,constituting the preferred means now employed by me for securing asealing member in place in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 5 is aView, similar to the upper portion of Fig. 1, showing my inventionapplied to a vessel having a seat of another kind.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 2 designates generally avessel of any suitable type to which my bail-fastener is applied. Thespecific vessel illustrated herein is a milk bottle, but it will beobvious that various other types of vessels may be employed. In everycase the vessel used will have a seat, preferably internal, for thereception of a sealing member. A tapered seat suit able for the purposeis shown in these views, its limits bein indicatedby 3 and 4. Sealingcontact may be made in any horizontal plane between these limits. Inthis case at the upper edge'of the bottle mouth the seat 3-4 merges intothe usual annular lip, 5, generally found in milk bottles. As to certainof the features thereof, my improved bail-fastener is or may besubstantially simiwell known and in general use. ample, the ball of thefastener may, 1n most respects be similar to those heretofore employedand this bail may be permanently secured to the neck of the bottle inthe ordinary manner and by the usual operating and fastening means, suchas 6. The bail here illustrated, however, and which may be of the typeindicated at 7, differs in certain respects from bails as ordinarilyemployed. These differences will be referred to again later. The mainelement of the clamping means employed for forcing against the seat asuit-able sealing medium should substantially conform in contour to thatof the seat, and in the 'best form of the device 'now known to me, is anannuliis, such, for example, as the split clamping ring '8. Whatever itsother characteristics may be this clamping means proper will preferablybe contractible when forced down upon a sealing member properly locatedon the seat,

7 the object of this being to bring the periphery of said clamping meansinto as close engagement as possible with the up-anddown wall of theseat in any vertlcal plane in which said clamping means may exertpressure against said seat. It will be obvious that if proper downwardpressure is applied tosuitable clamping means to force a sealing memberfirmly against the seat, and the clamping means is so constructed thatwhen said downward pressure is exerted it is also properly contracted orcompressed in a substantially horizontal plane, a tight seal will beassured, as the sealing member will be held to the seat by pressurehaving both vertical and horizontal components. In order that theclamping means may operate to the best advantage to seal the vessel, thesealing member is preferably an element shaped to conform as nearly aspossible to the contour of the seat before described, and should havesuflicient flexibility to permit it to be forced firmly against the seatin any horizontal plane thereof, and by a partial shaping action of theclamping means, that is, an action suflicient to cause said sealingmember, when the parts are clamped in place in their operative position,to conform substantially exactly to the com tour of the clamping andseating surfaces. A sealing member suitable for the purpose is shown at9, it being preferably a cap of flexible material, usual paper or otherfibrous substance si' itably treated when necessary, and shaped toconform, when in place, substantially to the contour of the tapered walland to the exterior wall 5 of the-bottle l'ip. In other words, this capis preferably one that not only follows the lines of the'seat but alsothe lines of the bottle lip, and is adapted and intended to: cover themouth of the bottle prevent any. contact ofthe hand foreign sub stanceswith such mouth after the bottle has been properly sealed. In thespecific construction illustrated, the clamping ring 8 is 7 shown as astrong and comparatively stiff annulus of wire, spht at the point 10 andhaving eyes, 11, const1tut1ng bearlng surfaces for cooperation withcorresponding.

journal portions of a. cross-bar, 12, of the bail on which the ring isintended to be pivoted. These two journal portions-of the cross-bar 12are shown herein as slight bends, 13, in the wire of said cross-bar.

Said bent portions serve the double purpose of constituting journals forthe bearing portions of the ring and limiting the lengthwise movement ofthe ring on "said cross-bar.

They permit properexpansion and contrao 7 the bail is swung up and overit in'the usual manner, with the ring 8 in proper relation to the cap,and the bail is then forced down by the action of said lever, said ring8,

which is preferably of slightly larger diameter than the largestdiameter of the wall 3---4l, will "be slightly contracted and by itsresilient action will tend to force the cap '9 against said upright wall4:, this action bel ing aided by downward pressure. When the same ringis required to clamp a cap 1-11 place at the point or minimum diameterof the wall 5'4c, the pressure exerted outward against the cap 9 andsaid wall will of course be greater. The construction is such that thering 8 will accommodate itself not only to the different diameters ofthe seat 3-4 but also. to the'diameters of seats of all sizes within theusual commercial limits,

and the opening 10 ispreferably only large I I V enough to permit properaction ofthe ring in connection with all bottles within these commerciallimits. 7 i

In the modification shown in Fig; 5, the bottle 2 is covered by a eap, 9similar to that shown at 9 in the other views,ibut having a deeperdepression for "the purpose of fitting a different style of seat. Theseat of the vessel of Fig. is one having a 'substan- L tia llyhorizontal wall, 3, a substantially vertical wal-l, 4 anol' the clampingmeans 00- operating with the cap and the'seat, though it may besubstantially the same as that pre. viously described, is hereillustrated 'as srfbstantia lly the "same, and is indicated by the samereference characters, exerts-down ward pressure "against the wall 3 anout ward pressure against-the wall- 4 ,a-ndthus positively seals thebottle by forcing the I member to its seat, a bail pivotally connectcap9 against two diiferent seats located in two different horizontal planesand lying a considerable distance apart, measured in the direction ofthe length of the seat crosswise of the bottle. In other words, thedevice of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive employed in connection with one type ofseat gives a single seal while the construction of Fig. 5 is one inwhich there is a double seal.

What I claimis:

1. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a sealing member for engaging said seat, ofsplit contractible resilient clamping means normally of slightly greaterdiameter than said seat for forcing said sealing member to its seat, andmeans connected with said clamping means and operable to exert andmaintain a downward pressure thereon, said means being operable torelease said pressure.

2. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a sealing member for engagingsaid seat, of abail, means for securing said bail to the vessel, and a splitcircumferentially contractible clamping ring pivotally mounted on saidbail for clamping said sealing member in place, said bail adapted toexert and maintain a downward pressure on said clamping ring, and beingoperable to release said pressure.

3. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a sealing member for engaging said seat, of asplit contractible clamping ring for forcing said sealing member to itsseat, a bail pivotally connected to said clamping means at opposite endsof one of the diameters thereof, and means for securing said bail to thevessel, said bail adapted to exert and maintain a downward pressure onsaid clamping ring and being operable to release said pressure.

4. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a sealing member for engag ing said seat, ofcircumferentially contractible clamping means for forcing said sealinged to said clamping means at opposite ends of one of the diametersthereof and having means at one of said points for limiting movement ofsaid clamping means lengthwise of its axis, and'means for securing saidbail to the vessel, said bail adapted to exert and maintain a downwardpressure on said clamping means and being operable to release saidpressure.

5. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a sealing member for engaging said seat, of asplit contractible resilient clamping ring normally of slightly greaterdiameter than said seat for forcing said sealing member to its seat, abail pivotally connected to said clamping ring at opposite ends of oneof the diameters of the ring and having means at said points ofconnection for limiting movement of said clamping ring lengthwise of itsaxis, and means for securing said bail to the vessel.

6. In a bail-fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat with both up-and-down and transverse walls, of aflexible formed cap shaped to conform to the internal and externaloutlines of said internal seat and the mouth of the vessel, a splitcontractible clamping ring for forcing said cap into engagement withboth said up-and-down and transverse walls, and means to exert andmaintain a downward pressure on said clamping ring.

7. In a bail fastener for vessels, the combination with a vessel havingan internal seat, and with a flexible sealing member for engaging saidseat, of a split contractible clamping ring for forcing said sealing member to its seat, and means connected with said clamping means andoperable to exert and maintain a downward pressure thereon.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this31st day of January A. D. 1913.

JOHN A. JONES.

Witnesses:

Rosn EISENSTADT, ANNE C. BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

